The 2025 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing is a tremendous luxury sport sedan that’s been showered with recognition, including a recent spot on the Car and Driver 10Best Cars list. Everyone who drives the Blackwing loves its exhilarating performance and luxurious interior, but there’s one inconvenience that owners have to live with if they choose a 2025 model with the manual transmission.
Although the manual transmission is exactly what a lot of drivers love about the Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing, it deletes a handy audio feature. Automatic-equipped models have a console-mounted multifunction controller with a volume knob, but the refreshed 2025 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing has no volume knob at all when equipped with a stick shift. The only way to control the volume of the audio system is by using the buttons mounted on the steering wheel.
2024 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing Interior
2025 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing Interior
One of the big updates of the 2025 Cadillac CT5 – including the V-Series models – is a new infotainment system. It’s a 33-inch LED display mounted on the dash housing the central infotainment screen and a digital gauge cluster. Cleaning up the look of the dash, the volume and control knobs that used to be mounted right below the infotainment screen are now gone.
Optioning the manual in the pre-facelift CT5-V Blackwing eliminated the console-mounted control and volume knobs as well, but drivers still had those other two knobs below the screen. Now that those are gone, there are fewer ways to control the volume in the car. For drivers with the automatic, the console-mounted control and volume knobs are still there.
2025 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing Automatic Interior
2025 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing Manual Interior
Eliminating volume knobs historically doesn’t go well for automakers, and they almost always end up adding them back in. However, this is a problem unique to the Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing and only the manual models. It’s something sport sedan enthusiasts who want to row their own gears will just have to deal with, but we have a feeling most drivers will be so glad they have the manual that they won’t miss the volume knob very much. For many of us, the soundtrack from the supercharged 6.2L V8 LT4 pumping out 668 horsepower and 659 pound-feet of torque is enough audible entertainment.
Comments
It appears that prior year manual equipped Blackwings didn’t have the knob either. Doesn’t appear to be enough room on the console with the shifter gate.
The 2024 manual does. On the dash under the screen.
Is that a volume knob on the 2025 automatic or a drive mode type of knob? Looks too big and in the wrong place for it to be a volume knob.
What a terrible decision. 22-24 were the golden years. The tactile controls were all in EXACTLY the right place. All they’ve done with the ’25 is fix stuff that wasn’t broken and make the dash look like something out of an SUV. I also don’t understand the addition of Super Snooze. You don’t buy the Blackwing to let the car drive itself. Also they wrecked the facia and Google sucks biblically. I understand none of these changes.
“we have a feeling most drivers will be so glad they have the manual that they won’t miss the volume knob very much”. That missing knob would have me shopping for a used 22-24 rather than new.
That missing joystick controller knob for the touchscreen is a huge mistake. I love that controller on my XT5. It is a mistake for automakers to assume buyers will accept their “small changes” but they do not realize the buyers they ignore will be gone without acknowledgement.
I really like the Hyundai Palisades’ marker lights. Nice copy, Mary.
What difference does it make if there not shipping these cars yet ? Seems there all sitting in Pontiac waiting for a software upgrade or ??? Patiently waiting arrival ,,,kind off …..
They took those knobs off in 2022 on Twin Turbo V-6 cars. The 4 Cylinder and V8 Blackwings kept them until the refresh